Mail-crane.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908. W. WATTS.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED S'EPT.19,1907

1 VVE/VTOR secured to the lower bearing 0.

sites wiLL a ii WATTS, or srn no enovn, iLLiNoIs.

Specification of Letters Paton MAIL-CRANE.

Patented Mach 3, lace.

Application filed September 19. 1907. Serial No. 393670- T 0 all whom italiag concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WArrs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spring Grove, in the county of McHenry and State ofIllinois, have inventedcertain new .ind useful improvements inh'lail-(lranes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. I

This invention relates to cranes for receiv-- ing maibbags when beingdelivered from moving trains; and it consists in the novel constructionand combination ot' the. parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the crane. Fig. 2 is a planview of the crane. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through one ol the rollerbearings, taken on the line aa: in Fig. 3, and drawn to a larger scale.

A is a post which is secured in the ground adjacent to the railroadtrack. Bearing rings B are secured to the post A, one above the otherand at a suitable distance aJa-rt, by means of brackets b and suitablebolts.

The crane jib is provided with two bearings (I for engaging with therings B, and these hearings are similar toeach other in structure. Eachbearing 0 is formed of two similar parts provided with flanges c andbolts't'or securingthem together one above the other. A channel D isformed between the two said parts, and the bearing ring B is arranged inthis channel.

' D are rollers arranged between the rings B and sons to form ananti-friction bearing ofa proved construction, which will permit thebearings C to revolve very freely on the bearing rings.

E are two arms which project from the upper bearing (1.

F are two inclined arms which are secured at their up )er ends to theouter ends of the arms E. he lower ends of the arms F are The arms E andF constitute the jib of the crane.

One of the bearings C is provided with a spring-actuated bolt or catch fof any approved construction which normally engages with a notch in thebearing ring B when the crane is'substantially at a right angle to thetrack rails and in a position to receive a mailbag from a train. Thiscatch is for the purpose of preventing the accidental displacement ofthe crane jib by the wind, or other similar cause, until the maihbag hasbeen received by the crane. This catch is constructed so that it isthrown out of action when the crane is spun around with the mailbag andwhen it is necessary that the crane jib should revolve freely.

A spring engages with teeth tin the catch f, or it may engage with it byfrictional contact, and this springnormally holds the catch inengagement with a notch 72 in the ring B. hen the crane jib is swungaround forcibly the catch is automatically forced out of engagement withthe no tch, the said parts being suitably beveled, and the catch is thenheld out of engagement with the notch by the same spring f, so that thejib is free to be whirled around the post contii'iuously without anycheck from the said catch.

G is a hook for receiving the mail-bag. This hook is reversible and itis provided with a shank secured to the outer end portionpf the pair ofarms E. engages with the rectangular end portioni of the said shank andwith the arms E. This plate can he slid out of engagement with the parti so that the hook can be turned over and reversed in the blocks 71, soas to receive a mail-bag from a train coming in the opposite direction.The crane jib is free to revolve in each direction and the hook isplaced in .osition by hand to suit the direction or the train.

The mail-bag is supported on the rapidly moving train in any approvedmanner, and when received by the hook it causes the crane jib to s inrapidly around the sup orting post. T 1e crane ib with the mai bag on itwhirls around freely for a number of revolutions and comes to restslowly, so that the mail-bag is not injured in any way, and by means ofthis crane mail-bags can be de livered with safety from a traintraveling at a high speed.

/Vhat I claim is:

1. In a mail-crane, the combination, with a supporting post, of a cranejib journaled to revolve freely in each direction on the said post, areversible hook for the mail-bag journaled at the end Oi the said jib,and a slidable locking'device for holding the said hook in position.

2. In a. mailcrane, the combination, with a supporting ,post, of twobearing rings se cured one above the other to the said post,

two bearings each formed of two parts seg which is journaled in blocks7t ll is a slidable locking-plate whichcured to ether and forming anannular chanan automatically disengageable catch which n'el, antirriction devices arran ed in the said normally checks the free movementof the channel and mnn'mgonthesai bearingrings, said jib when the jib isin. a position to rearms arranged ingairs and secured together ceive amail-bag. 5 at their outer on and secured to the said In testimonywhereof I have affixed my hearings at their inner ends, and a, hook forsignature in the presence of two witnesses.

.theimeiL-bag carried'by the outer end pergtionslof the-said arms.WILLIAM --WATTS. 3.,111 a mail-crane, the combination, with Witnesses: j1 k 10. a B1! porting post, of a crane jib journaled to WM. RADEN,

whit continuously around the said nostand NICHOLAS BLAKE.

